Lightning rod with great ionizing power



Oct. 31, 1967 K. RITTER 3,350,496

LIGHTNING ROD WITH GREAT IONIZING POWE R Filed March 14, 1 966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 31, 1967 K. RITTER LIGHTNING ROD WITH GREAT IONIZING POWER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 14, 1966 FIGB United States Patent 3,350,496 LIGHTNING ROD WITH GREAT IONIZING POWER Karlheinz Ritter, Vaduz, Liechtenstein, assignor to General Protection Establishment, Vaduz, Liechtenstein Filed Mar. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 533,948 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Mar. 12, 1965, 3,592/ 65 1 Claim. (Cl. 174-4) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A radioactive lightning rod assembly comprising a rod connected to the ground having a pointed end, surrounded by an annular electrode having point or edges, mounted on a powerful insulator, so that said points or edges be at the same gradient of potential as the surrounding atmosphere; at least one radioactive ionizing source mounted on the electrode for anticipating the triggering of shock ionization phenomena at the approach of storms, the difference of potential between the rod and the point means being high, whereby sparking occurs between them when the gradient of potential reaches a given value resulting from the diiference between ground and atmospheric electricity, thereby forming an ionizing volume around the rod for capturing lightning bolts striking in the perimeter of the ionized volume and channelling them to the pointed end of the rod.

The function of a lightning rod is to afford an effective protection against atmospheric discharges over an area as large as possible. It has been recognized that the efficacy and the extent of this protection depend on the power with which the device can ionize the air. Consequently, researchers constantly have sought an increase in the power of the point, either mechanically, or electrically (Franklin, Melsens, etc.) and later, by the use of radioactive ionizing bodies (Szillard, Artom, Donelli, etc.). In exceeding all results obtained along these two directions, the present invention provides a highly effective solution while preserving a simple structure, a reasonable cost and a long service life.

The appended drawings show by way of example, various embodiments of the present invention.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one variant of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a schematic partly cross-sectional view of a second variant.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of the rod of FIGURE 2.

The rods shown on FIGURES 1 and 2 comprise a rod 1 which must be grounded. This cylindrical rod may have longitudinal sharp edged ribs 2. The rod terminates in its upper part in a point 3. In its lower part, the same comprises a jaw 4 for connecting the same with a ground cable 5, secured by a screw 6.

The annular electrode 7 must be a good electrical conductor. The same surrounds rod 1 in the immediate vicinity of the point 3 and is fixed thereto mechanically or by glueing with a good insulator 8. This electrode 7 is conductive and may have a sharp edged profile (9, 10, 11) toward rod 1.

2 In the embodiment of FIGURE 1, electrode 7 bears a series of points 22 directed towards rod 1 as well as a series of ionizing radioactive sources 12.

When the device is mounted on the structure it is intended to protect, the annular electrode 7 assumes the po tential of the atmosphere in which it finds itself while the rod 1 is grounded. Thus the potential gradient existing between the atmosphere surrounding the point-and the ground will be substantially the same as that between electrode 7 and rod 1 of the lightning rod.

When there occurs an increase in atmospheric electricity and there are reached conditions necessary for the production of lightning, the potential gradient reaches very high values. At this moment electric discharges begin to take place between the electrode 7 and the rod 1 giving sparks which increase in intensity. These discharges are increased by the presence on electrode 7 of points 22, as shown in FIGURE 1, or sharp edges (9, 10, 11) in FIG- URE 2.

The radioactive sources bear the essential function of ensuring, anticipating, and amplifying the triggering of the shock ionization phenomenon. In fact when storms approach the gradients take hyperbolic values by which the ionization, prompted first by radioactivity and by the point power will expand far beyond their original boundary. Thus this protective system will be the center of an important volume of ionized air whose intensity will diminish at its perimeter. If a thunder bolt approximates said perimeter, it will follow the path of lesser resistance and be captured by the lightning rod which will convey it to the ground.

What is claimed is:

A radioactive lightning rod assembly consisting of:

(A) a rod at ground potential having a pointed end;

(B) an annular, electrically conductive electrode completely surrounding said rod and having point means at the potential of the ambient atmosphere; said point means consisting of at least one vertical pointed member having its extremity directed toward said rod and carried by said annular electrode, said extremity of said pointed member being positioned at a distance from said rod, such that sparking may occur therebetween;

(C) an insulator electrically separating said rod from said electrode;

(D) at least one radioactive ionizing source mounted upon said electrode for anticipating the triggering of said sparking and then amplifying the shock ionization phenomena at the approach of storms, thereby forming an ionized cloud around said assembly for capturing lightning bolts striking in the perimeter of said cloud and channelling them to said pointed end of said rod.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,025,338 12/1935 Capart 1744 2,644,026 6/1953 Grenier et a1. l74w-4 FOREIGN PATENTS 177,178 1/ 1954 Austria. 429,004 5/ 1935 Great Britain. 610,061 10/1960 Italy.

LARAMIE E. ASKIN, Primary Examiner. 

